Gotham Visit
by Scarlett Rose Petal
Summary: A series of one-shots featuring Robin and Wonder Girl in Gotham City!
1. Museum

A hand grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. It was small, too small to belong to any of the armed men, and vaguely familiar. She grasped at the fingers, trying to get whoever it was to let her go, when she felt hot breath on her ear.

"Don't struggle!" Robin's voice snapped. The smoke cleared enough for her to see his face, eyes obscured by the black domino, as always, a grim set to his mouth. His other hand was clasped around a line as they swung around the expansive room. He let go and they landed with a soft thud behind a large black antique chest. He held her tight against him, as if though afraid she'd scream or try to run. Instead, Cassie's eyes were wide and accusing. As soon as the Boy Wonder released her, she took a defensive stance, momentarily missing the feel of his hand on the small of her back. She shook her head, deciding to think that one over some other time.

"What are you doing here?" Cassie hissed, hands balling up into angry fists at her sides.

"This is Batman's city, remember?" Robin stated. His eyes wandered every few moments away from the blonde's face to scan for the intruders. "And, boy, are you lucky he's out of town. He'd give Wonder Woman hell for you being here."

"Humph," the girl huffed, crossing her arms on her chest, "I came on a school trip to a museum. I don't control where we go on field trips, Robin. Besides, how was I supposed to know these thugs, robbers, or whatever, would rob this place today?"

The corners of the boy's lips turned up in a small smirk. "It's Gotham. Thugs, robbers, or whatever, rob anyplace every day."

Cassie huffed indignantly in response.

"Robin!" Nightwing's frantic voice yelled out, several yards away, "Behind you!"

The thirteen year old ducked out of the way just in time before one of the Masked Goons, as Cassie had decided to dub them until Robin gave her a proper name to call them, fired a gun straight at his head. A momentary glimpse of terror crossed the young crime fighter's face as he looked up to see the bullet heading for the girl.

Cassie crossed her wrists in front of her face, the jacket sleeves slipping down her forearms to reveal silver bracers, shielding it from the bullet's impact. Instead, metal thudded harmlessly against metal and the small object fell to the floor at the girl's feet. Her bright blue eyes filled up with rage immediately, all thoughts of the Bat-family's intrusion on the trip she had so been looking forward to forgotten. That creep had just taken a shot at Robin. He had just aimed a gun and pulled the trigger on her teammate and future leader. That was a crime that could not go unpunished. His eyes widened in fear as he regarded the lack of damage the bullet had caused her. The shocked and slightly relieved look on her teammate's face was yet another thing she'd leave to analyze later... If ever.

"Listen, you creep," she hissed, "You do _not_ shoot at kids. And you definitely don't shoot at Robins." With that said, she flew over, fists at the ready to punch the living daylights out of the criminal. He took the blow to the stomach, doubling over at the pain. She'd cracked a rib. Good. Maybe that'd teach him. Grabbing the man by the arm, the young superhero sent him careening towards a pillar. His back connected with solid brick, and he slumped against the pillar, where a waiting Nightwing was ready with Batcuffs.

"Is that all of them?" Wonder Girl asked, looking around at three more cuffed men strewn randomly about the Egyptian artifact-filled room. One was slumped by a sarcophagus, the other two were on their stomachs, and all three were knocked out cold.

"Yes," Nightwing assured her, "Look's like Robin's got the last one." He appeared to be looking somewhere over her shoulder, so Cassie turned to look as well, just in time to see her teammate push the last robber to the floor, front-first, and pin him there, hands cuffed on his back. The man gave an angry groan and a threatening curse. Robin grabbed the sides of his head and forced it against the ground with enough force to knock him out, but not hard enough to cause any permanent damage.

"Nice job, you two," Nightwing grinned, "The cops will be here any minute. Although, Cassie, you might wanna try using a little less force next time. The broken rib was unnecessary."

"Unnecessary?" the young girl repeated incredulously, "He _shot_ at_ Robin!"_

"Occupational hazard," the boy told her, startling her at the close proximity, as well as the smile on his face.

"Well, then for your sake, I hope that suit is bulletproof," Cassie snapped, back in defensive mode.

"Be that as it may," Nightwing smirked, "I need to go get some things taken care of with the officials. Think you can figure out a way to sneak her back to her classmates, little brother?" Robin returned the smirk.

"Did that while you were taking care of the first one." He motioned towards one of the black-clad men in ski masks who gave a soft groan.

"Good," the team's leader stated and walked over to the man Cassie had injured so direly. In an impressive show of strength, he heaved the gun-wielding idiot over one shoulder and turned to the exit of the room. After a few steps, though, he stopped, and, without turning around, addressed Wonder Girl. "And, Cassie, if I ever catch you in Gotham again without our permission, there will be consequences. Have a nice time here. You two have about five minutes." His footsteps echoed down the hall even after he was long gone. Cassie gave yet another exasperated huff.

"What is it with you Bats and this city?" she snapped, "It's, like, if you can't protect it, nobody can."

"That is true, actually," Robin smirked and held out his arms. "Come on. Your teacher will get suspicious if you don't show up for roll call." Cassie looked at his waiting arms, facing upwards, as if though waiting for her to place something large and heavy in them. It took Cassie a moment to understand the invitation. When she did, though, everything Diana and Hyppolyta had taught her about Amazonian pride, as well as her own stubbornness, welled up inside, bubbling forth in an angry rush of defiance.

"Nuh uh," she shook her head vehemently. "You are not carrying me outside with all my classmates watching!" Alright, there was a little embarrassment caught in that mix too, but it was mostly her lessons about never succumbing to the whims of men, no matter how seemingly sensible. But Robin was hardly ever insensible. This was one of those rare times… In her opinion, anyway.

"Cassie," Robin sighed, resisting the urge to rub his temples and alleviate the headache this girl was causing him. "Please. It has to look believable."

"I don't care if they figure out Batman's true identity when I go out there!" she snapped, cheeks burning a bright red. Although, she would admit, that was taking it a little too far, if the look on the boy's face was anything to judge by.

Tim's jaw tightened. He didn't want to do it, he really didn't, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Batman's identity at this point seemed to be pretty safe, considering he was off-world and Bruce Wayne was supposedly visiting his old friend, Oliver Queen and living it up in Star City. No one could prove anything as long as Queen kept his mouth shut. However, the identity of Wonder Girl would certainly be at risk if they didn't get out of there at that very moment. The 13-year-old gave another sigh. Dick was either going to kill him, or laugh his ass off for this later. Knowing his brother, though, it would probably be the latter.

"Sorry about this, Cass," he muttered and swept her into his arms for the second time that day, flush against his chest. Cassie gave a yelp of surprise.

"What in the name of Hera are you doing?" she practically screeched, arms wrapping around his neck involuntarily. The young super heroine had to remind herself not to use super-strength on her friend to break free. He was only human, after all. The bullet, if he hadn't dodged it, would have proven just how true that was… She shuddered. Her hold tightened. He looked down at her with concern.

"I said I was sorry," he repeated in a gentle tone of voice, "I know this goes against what the Amazons have taught you, as well as pretending to be a klutz and humiliating yourself in front of your friends…"

Cassie had to fight the urge to scoff as the two of them made their way to the exit and down the hall to the elevator, tuning out Robin who was babbling a bunch of nonsense about how they had to make sacrifices in this line of work. As far as her classmates were concerned, she was a total klutz, and she had only one real friend in the entire class, her best friend since forever ago, Cissie. She couldn't count all the times she'd been embarrassed in the locker rooms, made fun of for actually paying attention in class, or not wearing the newest fashion designs. Come to think of it, she wasn't really giving up much of her dignity with this little identity-preservation stunt. And, as much as she hated to admit it, being in Robin's arms felt… nice. It felt warm and safe. He was safe. Safe from guns and the goons who held them… She shivered again.

"Cassie?" his soft voice saying her name interrupted her thoughts. Wonder Girl looked up to meet her companion's eyes – or rather, the white lenses of his mask. She felt very small, even though, in reality, he was only an inch or two taller than her and nowhere near as strong.

"How can anyone do that?" she asked in a voice that perfectly matched her feelings, "How can anyone just… pull a trigger… take a life… and let that be the end of it?"

"He didn't take a life," Robin told her softly, soothingly, like a parent to a frightened child, "Not mine… or yours."

There was a familiar look on his face she knew she'd seen somewhere before, but just couldn't place. It was there for only a second before he covered it up with his usual passive mask. She didn't let it faze her. "That wasn't what I asked."

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask. Cassie wasn't demanding. She asked questions and pestered you until you gave her an indirect answer she was happy with. She wasn't direct, or at least, hadn't been before. Looking into those liquid pools of blue, though, he realized. Wonder Woman deflected bullets all the time, saving herself, innocents, and her fellow heroes. Cassie, however, had only had to worry about ones that were aimed for her or at innocent strangers, in training sessions on Themyscara, or missions that Nightwing made sure were simple enough for her to handle. Seeing that idiot shoot at him today had been traumatic for her. It was different when it was aimed for someone you actually knew, even worse when that person was actually hit. He knew the feeling.

Tim looked down at the girl in his arms. She looked so innocent and, well, _cute_, for lack of a better word. She had a frown on her face that he knew had resembled his own when he'd first found out about Bruce Wayne and how his parents and son had been killed. Jason Todd. Tim felt his face contort into a grimace at the name.

He had thought it was unfair, that people thought they could just take lives for some petty reasons, like mugging the morons who were stupid enough to be out late on a school night. It made him sick whenever he heard a gunshot aimed for him, Bruce, or his brother. The people that used guns were cowards with weapons that made them feel powerful, and that made them dangerous. He knew this, had known this for a long time, and he also knew that the same thoughts that had been running through his head five years ago, when he'd discovered Batman's secret identity were now running through the head of the beautiful innocent-looking blonde in his arms. Without even thinking, he leaned down and pressed a pair of soft lips to her forehead.

The second he pulled away, though, he saw a shocked expression on her face. She hadn't seen that coming. Suddenly, she was very aware of just how hot the hallway had become, or maybe that was just the heat radiating from Robin's body. She could feel her heartbeat grow unsteady, looking up into the white lenses that covered his eyes. Vaguely, Cassie wondered what color they were. They'd stopped at the elevator, and he was perfectly still, awaiting her reaction, his hold still tight, in case she tried to make a run for it. Cassie had completely forgotten what it was they were discussing…

"I don't know," he answered her question from before, his voice a broken whisper. For some reason, her hand snaked up to play with the hair at the base of his neck. Wonder Girl had no clue where this sudden boldness was coming from, but it felt good, especially when she saw the Boy Wonder's jaw tense in response to her actions.

"It's alright, Rob," the girl whispered, her voice so soft and gentle, like there was a deeper meaning to the words, but it still sounded so loud in the empty corridor. All the people had run off when the criminals burst in. Gun-wielding psychos with ski masks tended to have that effect on people. "You don't have to know everything."

He looked down into her azure eyes, so full of innocence, but there was pain there, too. Pain for the people she'd lost, pain for her mother and how hard she had to work, pain at how her father had abandoned her when she was just a baby, pain for her mentor and what she might be undergoing at that very moment. It was pain no one knew the girl ever had, that she always covered up with a smile as well as he covered his emotions with that emotionless mask he secretly hated. Who knew he and Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, had so much in common? His eyes traced over the soft contours of her face and came to rest on her lips. Slowly, steadily, and almost subconsciously, he lifted her up as much as he could. Their lips met in a searing kiss, her arms tightening into a near chokehold on his neck, his nearly crushing her to his chest. Thank the Gods for her strength.

His kiss was steady, insistent, but guarded, just like everything else Robin did. He could never just let go, be the boy behind the mask, especially while still wearing it. She was the opposite. Where he retreated, she chased him back, when he pushed, she pulled. Wild, untamed, just like her. Tim found he would never have enough of this, even if it lasted an eternity.

But all things have to come to an end eventually. They pulled away from each other, breathing heavy, hearts pounding. Robin let Cassie stand on her own, setting her on the ground. As soon as he did, he took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. The Boy Wonder was shocked at himself. Everything he did was calculated, planned. He and Dick had known Wonder Girl was in the city, in this exact museum, and decided to help her out in taking out the bad guys. As well as to remind her that no one was allowed in Gotham City without the permission of the Bat-clan. They'd waited until the crooks had burst in, thrown a smoke grenade through the window, and decided that Dick would get the class out of the Egyptian Wing and into safety, while Tim found Wonder Girl and took out the five well-armed guns. All had gone according to plan – he'd taken out one already, before he got to her, Nightwing took out two more, Cassie took care of the fourth, and he handled the fifth. This though, what had just taken place, was unprecedented. And Tim found, to his surprise, that he liked the spontaneity of it all.

"Rob?" Cassie managed to get out. She was still panting for air, a fact Tim took a small amount of pride in. He had just kissed Wonder Girl, one of the strongest members of the team, breathless.

"Yeah?" he gasped back. Damn. It looked like she was having an even more intense effect on him.

"Do we have to go back?" she almost whined. She could hardly believe she was saying this, but her human side was quickly winning out over her Amazonian one. She knew her face was probably flushed, and there was absolutely no way she could muster up the ability to act like a scared little girl after that kiss. "I mean, can't you just say that you took me straight to the hospital, or something?"

The elevator doors chose that exact moment to open. Cassie had no idea when he'd had time to press the button, but here it was. She sighed as the emotionless mask slid back onto his face again and followed him in. Apparently, they were acting like this whole thing never happened. Alright, she could deal with that… Oh, who was she kidding? There was no way she could deal with that!

But she could stay quiet, at least for now...

Robin took out his communicator and switched it on. "Robin to Nightwing."

"Is everything alright, Robin?" Nightwing's falsely concerned voice sounded in the small space of the elevator. "The teacher of the class, Mrs. Ford says they have one missing. Did you find her?"

"Yeah, I found her," Robin looked up and caught Cassie's eyes, holding her gaze. She wanted to look away, she really did, but found that the most she could do was anxiously gnaw at her lower lip. "She's pretty shook up, though. I think I'll take her straight home, if you don't mind."

"I- Are you-? With what?" Nightwing finally managed to get out. This wasn't part of the plan, and Dick, who knew his brother like the back of his own hand, was shocked that the do-gooder Robin was deviating from it. Cassie's eyes were wide with curiosity. "Sorry, little brother, but it's not like you can take the bus."

"I was thinking I'd take your bike." There was a mischievous smile adorning the younger brother's face as he said the words.

"You don't have the keys," Cassie could just hear Nightwing's teeth grinding in irritation as she tried to hold in her giggling. Her eyes drifted over to the small panel on the wall, which housed all the buttons for every floor of the building. Sure enough, the one for the garage level was pressed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

The sound of shuffling material against material, and Nightwing let out a frustrated curse. Cassie guessed he had been looking in whatever secret compartment he kept the keys, and found them misplaced. Instead, they now dangled from Robin's fingertips. "Dammit, Rob," he growled. Tim merely chuckled.

"I'll see you tonight, big brother." Robin looked up to see Cassie no longer looking sad, disappointed, or any other negative, un-Wonder Girl-like emotion. She was back to her usual bubbly, excited self, teeth digging into her lower lip with the effort it took not to burst out laughing. He sighed and gestured for her to get on with it, afraid she might draw blood. Abruptly, the small space was filled with Wonder Girl's shrill laughter, which subsided only once the elevator doors opened to a badly-lit parking lot filled with a few cars and one shiny black and blue motorcycle that just screamed 'Nightwing'.

"So, where are we going?" she chirped as he stalked over to his brother's ride, her literally skipping after him. It was funny how one moment she could be so upset over one of her friends almost being killed in a fight, and the next so happy he worried she'd bounce right through the ceiling. He handed her a helmet and mounted the bike.

"That depends," he said, turning the key. She sat down behind him a little shyly. This was Nightwing's bike, after all. When she seemed worried about where to put her hands, he gently placed his gloved ones over hers and guided them around his waist, not wanting to startle her with something sudden. "Do you have anything against Bludhaven?"

She smiled contentedly and relaxed. This had turned into one hell of a school trip. Gotham had more than its fair share of nuts, she knew that, but just how dangerous those nuts really were, she had no idea. Then again, if someone so incredibly human, like Robin, Nightwing, and Batman could live in such a dreadful city like this, surely she, a meta with incredible powers, had nothing to fear. The gunshot rang throughout the girl's mind again and she repressed another shudder. That was something she'd just have to get used to, and, honestly, the fact that she was pressed against Robin, who was one hell of a kisser, at the moment, was drowning out the not so distant memory pretty well. Suddenly, though, something incredibly important dawned on her. "Robin, do you even know how to drive this thing?" They were only thirteen after all. It's not like he had a license.

"Nightwing taught me," he assured her and revved the engine, "You know, just in case." The bike sped forward at a fast pace and out of the parking lot. They passed by her classmates, the police officers, who were now loading the criminals into the truck, and a very pissed off-looking Nightwing, although, Cassie could have sworn she saw him smiling as they sped by.

The envious glares from the girls of her class brought a smile to her face and her hold on Robin tightened ever so slightly. She could feel the chuckle reverberating through him. Cassie was positive that none of those girls could say they'd ever ridden on Nightwing's motorcycle, commandeered by his own brother.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is my first fic for Tim and Cassie. Hope you guys like it!**


	2. Concert

A/N: Ok, so I decided to turn this story into a series of one-shots. So sue me, this has been sitting on my computer unfinished for months. Basically, Cassie goes to a club in Gotham and runs into Tim Drake, son of billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. The two encounter thugs and bad music, and Wonder Girl reveals a little more than she ever intended to someone she's (supposedly) just met.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The music was loud, too loud for her ears, and she pressed her hands against them, trying to block it out. The girls from her school had told her it would be fun, coming to this 'club'. But it was so loud! There were people all around her, crowding in her personal space. It was honestly no fun at all. Never mind the fact that she was in Gotham. If Nightwing, or Robin, or - Hera forbid - Batgirl caught her here, she would be in some major trouble with the Batclan...

Cissie had given up on the whole experience some time in the first five minutes and called her mom to come pick her up. Cassie had insisted on staying, saying that she wanted to give this place a try first. Cissie had merely looked at her friend with that overly grown-up-looking expression on her face, one that said she felt sorry for her. At the moment, Cassie could totally understand why. Cissie had known that trying to argue her friend out of this would be futile, but she still tried. Getting your best friend out of dumb and totally not fun situations was kinda what you were supposed to do as a good human being, right?

And now, here Cassie was, all alone in a huge crowd. Finally, she gave up. But, the trouble was, now, she had no idea how to find the exit. Sure, she could try and fly up above the heads of these people, but even they would most likely notice someone floating in the air with no strings attached. Not to mention, the band wouldn't like it if she pulled focus away from their songs. With a sigh, the young heroine started pushing her way through the crowd in what she hoped was the general direction of the exit…

And smashed right into an oncoming stranger.

"Oof!" she cried out, stumbling backwards, almost falling. A pair of hands caught and steadied her, and, moments later, Cassie found herself looking up into a pair of bright blue, innocent-looking eyes. They were set against pale ivory skin, under a mop of jet black hair. The boy's expression was gentle, concerned. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

"I'm so sorry!" the boy yelled so as to be heard above the noise. He was dressed in dark blue jeans that looked like they may have been custom-made, and a red unzipped hoodie over a black T-shirt. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Cassie yelled back, giving him what she hoped was a convincing smile. She winced as the guitarist hit a particularly high chord, immediately followed by the drummer beating his drums like a madman. She cringed and her hands flew to her ears again. Her newfound companion smiled.

"I can't stand the noise either!" he told her, "Come on, I know a short cut out of here." He entwined their fingers and started pulling her in the other direction than where she'd been heading.

Now, Cassie was a smart, obedient girl. She listened to her mother, got good grades, all the teachers liked her, and she never stayed out past curfew. Besides her afterschool activities, she was a poster child for good behavior. She knew better than to go to an unknown place with a stranger she'd just met, but she was Wonder Girl. If he tried anything on her, she'd have him pinned to the floor in moments. He didn't look like much of a fighter, anyway. Then again, neither did Robin, and she'd seen firsthand how much damage he could do.

But this guy was no Robin. There was no way Robin's eyes could ever look so innocent. When she'd pictured his face behind those damned sunglasses, which honestly pissed her off to no end – seriously, everyone else knew everyone's secret identities! Why did the Bats get to keep theirs? – his eyes were always hard, maybe a steel grey or dark brown, not a soft, sweet electric blue.

Finally, they'd reached a large grey door – the emergency exit – somewhere across the room. Cassie promptly tugged her hand out of the boy's not too firm grasp. He turned back to look at her questioningly.

"We can't go through there," she told him, hoping her steadfast concern was clear on her face, "We'll set off the alarm." He merely grinned at her and pushed on the door. It swung open easily, and Cassie stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. When she made no move to go through the door, he quickly herded her through it. It swung closed after them, muffling the awful music from inside.

"They always disable the alarms for these kinds of things," he explained, "A lot of kids try and sneak out to do drugs, or make out, and the police don't take it too kindly when it's a false alarm – no pun intended."

Cassie smiled anyway. "Sounds like you've been to a lot of these things."

"My brother always drags me to them," he explained with a shrug, "Something about family bonding and preserving our image."

"Image?" Cassie repeated, nose scrunching up and brows furrowing in confusion.

"Oh, right," the boy smiled, a little embarrassed, "So sorry, I haven't even introduced myself yet." Blue eyes sparkled as he held out a hand. "I'm Tim Drake."

Cassie's eyes widened in shock. A thousand pictures and articles from teen magazines flashed before her eyes. A picture of a young boy, about thirteen years of age, and the story of how Bruce Wayne had taken in yet another 'son' to care for. An ad for a charity auction with photos of all three Waynes dressed in perfectly fitted tuxes. An interview with the billionaire playboy himself, discussing his 'sons'. Countless ads for useless stuff featuring the family. And here she was, meeting the youngest member of it in _person_. It took every ounce of Cassie's being to not revert straight to fan girl mode. She couldn't believe she hadn't recognized him before!

Instead, she stuck her hand in his and shook it firmly, barely managing to choke out a "Cassie Sandsmark."

"Nice to meet you, Cassie Sandsmark," Tim smiled that natural, seemingly easy grin again as Cassie released his hand, her cheeks burning. He was just another person, a human being. He was no different than anyone else. Just because he'd been in every source of media known to man, and the girls in school just couldn't stop swooning over him and Dick Gayson didn't mean he was any better than her. Because, in fact, he _wasn't_. She was Cassie Sandsmark, the freaking _Wonder Girl_. She'd trained alongside Wonder Woman and the Amazons. This was just some guy who'd gotten lucky and now lived in a huge mansion with a seriously hot big brother and a man who every woman would kill to have. Except Diana and the other Amazons, of course.

"Are you alright?" Tim asked, sounding worried, "You kinda spaced out for a moment there." She looked up into those bright blue eyes and took a deep breath. Despite the concerned tone, Cassie could quite easily read his face. She just knew he was thinking something along the lines of 'Oh no, not _another _fangirl'. No, she would prove to him, and to Diana, no matter where she might be, that Wonder Girl was perfectly capable of acting normal around celebrities. She'd met actual superheroes. Why was meeting a celebrity so different?

"I'm okay," she said, burying the desire to squeal and jump up and down like a three year old. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, too, Tim."

His face relaxed, and Cassie's grin spread even wider. There! She'd actually managed to talk to Tim Drake without embarrassing herself in the first five seconds! Diana would be so proud! Now, she just had to keep it up.

"So, Dick Grayson's here, too?" she asked, trying hard not to convey her enthusiasm, and realizing a moment too late exactly how fan-girlish that really sounded. "I mean, it's not that I care, of course, but, um, well, you mentioned your brother, and I just assumed that he was here- Unless you have some other brother who the press doesn't know about- or does know about and never mentions, or-"

"Cassie!" Tim interrupted her babbling. He was making a huge effort to hold in his laughter, but she could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. Cassie felt like hitting her head against the wall and chanting a mantra of 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' over and over again. It must have shown in her expression, she supposed, as Tim gently placed a comforting hand on her arm. She made a sound that was something like a pained groan and settled for slapping a hand against her forehead.

"Do you always babble when you're nervous?" Tim asked gently, that laughter still visible on his face.

"No- I mean, well, um, yes, but- ugh," she cut herself off before she could embarrass herself any further. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Diana's was berating her for letting a male – any male – have this much of an effect on her. Especially since it was a male she'd only met a few seconds ago, and had been ready to maim if he so much as looked at her the wrong way. Yeah, she needed some serious help. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," the young boy's gaze softened and the joking glint finally left his face. "It's cute."

An alarm went off inside her head. Tim Drake had just said she was cute. Or something about her was cute. No one had ever told her they thought her babbling was cute! But Tim Drake had just said it was! So, that meant that everyone who had ever belittled her for going on and spewing nonsense when she was uncomfortable was an idiot and she could feel free to live life from now on knowing that it was, in fact, _cute_. Oh, great. Now she was even doing it inside her own head. Oh, well, who cared? It was cute.

"Th- thanks," Cassie stuttered over the word slightly. She could feel her face burning until it was probably cherry red. She must have been making such a great impression on him.

"And, in response to your question, yes, Dick Grayson is here," There was just the faintest shimmering of laughter in the teen's eyes now, coupled with mild annoyance, "He's still inside, actually _enjoying_ this..."

"Music?" Cassie suggested when it seemed like her companion was at a loss to find the right word. Tim merely scoffed.

"That trash is an insult to music," he stated, perfectly serious. So much so, in fact, that he reminded her a little bit of Robin. She couldn't stop her giggles, causing Tim to grin. He liked her laughter, as well as her smile. She was a naturally bright and happy person. Those were hard to come by these days, especially in Gotham, and their joy was infectious. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'a waste of time'."

"Maybe that's what their next album's called," Wonder Girl muttered, moving a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looking away, hiding her smile. Tim chuckled at her joke. It was hard to believe he was even joking with her in the first place, at least here, in the city where _no meta was ever supposed to come,_ at least notwithout permission of the Bat himself. By all accounts, he should have put on his sunglasses, dragged her out of the club - or what passed as a club in Gotham. The bouncers didn't even check the IDs, - and demanded that she get out of here before Nightwing found out. But, so sue him, he was curious. He was, technically speaking, a celebrity, and knowing Cassie's reactions to pretty much anyone who was famous enough to land a magazine cover, he'd wanted to see how she'd react. Later he'd tell himself that that was all it was - a test to see if she could control herself. So far, she was doing surprisingly well. Maybe Wonder Girl wasn't such a fan girl after all. Cassie Sandsmark had taken to meeting him a lot better than most of the other fan girls out there. For the most part, she had just seemed nervous. His bright blue eyes took in her shy stance, the blush on her cheeks, the-

And suddenly, just like that, he froze, looking at a spot right above her shoulder.

"Tim?" Cassie asked, noting the change in his posture almost instantly. She frowned at the young teen and turned slowly to find two smirking, bulky-looking men coming towards them. One of them had suntanned skin, beady dark eyes, a bandana wrapped around his head, and was dressed in a black leather jacket, white wife beater, and jeans. The other one had dark skin, which looked almost pitch black against the night's sky, and was dressed almost identically to the first man, sans the bandana.

"Cassie, you might wanna get out of here," Tim told her, his grip on her forearm tightening. She had gone rigidly still, a fact which prompted the young boy to turn his gaze back to her. He almost groaned at seeing the too focused look on the blonde's face. It was a look that said she was about to do something ridiculously stupid, like exposing herself to these two morons, who he could handle just fine on his own.

Then again, she didn't know that. Maybe it would just be better to let her handle them, rather than having to explain why Tim Drake was practically a master at martial arts. Wonder Girl was too stubborn to leave him alone out here, after all. But if word got out about Metas in Batman's city, then, well. That wouldn't be good for anyone in the family. So maybe he should at least try to get her to go back in without causing a scene.

"Cassie, really, let's go back in, find N- I mean, my brother, and then we can get out of here," Tim gently coaxed her. Cassie wasn't focusing on him, though. Her eyes were narrowed at the two approaching men. She broke Tim's hold on her arm easily – too easily – and took on a defensive stance, shielding him. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Cassie knew she was jeopardizing her cover if she took these guys on, but really. They were nothing but leering meatbags. The Amazon in her wanted nothing more than to pummel them into the ground, regardless of the fact that she'd be doing so in front of Tim Drake.

"Hey, kiddies," Bandana-guy smirked, "Shouldn't you be inside, enjoying the show?"

"We're just fine out here," Cassie retorted, hands curling into fists at her sides. Tim wanted to kick himself. Where was Dick when you needed him?

"Oh, are you?" the black guy whose breath stank of sardines grinned, his hand poised on the handle of a knife tucked under his belt. Cassie's glare turned into a predatory smile. As if she couldn't handle a knife.

"No, as a matter of fact, we're not," the boy about half a step behind her announced, rather irritably, "Let's get back inside." He was careful not to mention her name. If either of these creeps got it, they wouldn't stop until they'd tracked her down and killed her in the most brutal way possible. They were the reason he was here tonight. One of Dick's many, many, _many_ ex-girlfriends had tipped him off about a drug deal going down tonight after the show. Apparently, the so-called rock stars in there were big sellers, practically giving it out to the kids at their concerts, who were in some debt with Black Mask, and these guys were here to get the cash. It was how he'd known the alarms would be disabled, as well – to make the thugs' entrance easier. Apparently one of the 'bouncers' was another one of Black Mask's goons.

"Yeah, Princess," Bandana chuckled, "Listen to your boyfriend and get back inside."

Cassie could feel her cheeks burning up. Boyfriend? Seriously? Just because she was in the back alley behind an underground club in Gotham city with a guy didn't mean he was her boyfriend! Did these guys not know an awkward first encounter when they saw it?

"Doesn't look like they're budging, Earl," Sardine-breath declared. Earl nodded his assent, accompanied by a non-committal grunt.

"No, Brett," he agreed, "it doesn't. What do you say we finish them off?"

Brett didn't need any encouragement. He practically lunged at the blonde with his knife. Cassie dodged easily by flying up into the air. She grabbed hold of his arm, and twisted it behind his back. There was a satisfying pop as she dislocated the man's right arm. He yelled out in pain, letting go of the knife and with evident pain turned to run at the girl again. Evidently, he was ambidextrous, if the way he snagged Cassie around the waist and knocked her to the ground was anything to judge by. She threw him over her head and into the nearest brick wall. There really was very little room in the alley.

Earl had meanwhile been advancing onto Tim, who had taken three steps backwards. He didn't want to expose himself, but if it came down to it...

"Yow!"

Earl turned sharply to see his companion smashed into the wall and growled underneath his breath. He turned away from Tim and back to Cassie, deeming her the imminent threat. "Damn metas… They're everywhere."

He tackled the girl from behind, arms around her neck, attempting to strangle her. It took everything the young Robin had to not jump in and help her. He hated standing by like this, helpless, unable to do anything…

_She's got this, Tim, she's got this. There's no need for Robin, here… _Try as he might to convince himself of this, his hands still balled up into fists at his sides, as if of their own accord.

Cassie struggled for a moment, before slammin them both backwards into the ground. The impact forced the breath out of the man's body, and he gave a soft whimper. Wonder Girl flew up out of his reach, just barely two feet off the ground, and hovered there, taking in her handy-work. Two thugs, knocked unconscious in the span of – literally – four minutes and with minimal cuts and bruises to speak of the incident. Both Diana and Nightwing would be proud.

Her eyes strayed back to the innocent bystander next to the emergency exit. Tim was staring at the two thugs, eyes downcast so she couldn't see his face. Oh no. What had she done? Cassie'd exposed herself in front of _Tim freaking Drake, _and what was worse, not only did he know what she looked like, he knew her name, too. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

His head snapped up at her sharp intake of breath. Cassie promptly snapped her hands to her mouth, eyes wide, like a deer caught in the headlights. Tim looked… surprised, at best, and fearful at worst. He looked like he wanted to say something, but, no. She had to go. She had to go before she made this any worse. She needed to get home, curl up in her bed and pray that, when she woke up the next morning, it would all have been a bad dream.


	3. Ashes

A/N: Thanks to last week's episode, this one might seem like AU… I started writing it a while back, before the episode aired. I apologize to all you wonderful people, but I hope you like it, anyway!

* * *

Gotham City was in ashes. Then again, so was the rest of the world, so it really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. But still, Gotham was the city of the Bats. They protected it like their own personal castle, not letting anyone who didn't belong in or out. It was also home to some of the craziest wackos out there – didn't that count for something?

Seeing it like this – all rubble and stone and ash and glass and bits of paper flying about with the name of some or other villain who'd broken free, because hey, it was still Gotham, - was horrible. Like a sign that the last hope that humanity had – the Dark Knight and his little Birds, were defeated. Now, there was no hope.

The Reach had bombed the city, knowing that the Bat-family was their greatest opposition in their quest to take over the world. They were showing off their supremacy, how completely and utterly helpless all humans were in comparison. They'd killed over five thousand people, Dick Grayson – Nightwing, included. Now the last few cities standing were Metropolis, New York, Paris, Cape Town, Hong Kong, and some quaint little town in Southern Russia. Not much hope for the humans in the wake of destruction the aliens had left behind.

Cassie paced along what had once been Hale Street, as a singed street sign hanging lopsidedly on a pole let her know, the ashes making her footsteps soundless. She had to force herself not to cringe at every step, wondering if she were stepping on the ashes of some drug dealer, or a baby, or a doting mother who made just barely enough to survive. But she had to keep going. She was looking for someone. Looking for Tim.

Two shards of glass made a soft crunching as she accidentally stepped on them. They must've been from a shattered basement window, she vaguely mused. The wind blew up a cloud of ash, causing Cassie to sputter and cough, trying to expel the ash from her lungs. But there was no wind, she had barely enough time to think, abruptly taking a defensive stance as the cloud cleared. It revealed a very dirty, slightly enraged Red Robin. Wonder Girl took an involuntary step backwards in surprise. He was certainly a sight to behold.

Smudges of black stained a thin, pale face. He was skinnier than she'd ever seen him, causing Cassie to wonder when was the last time the young hero had eaten. His hair was dirty, costume a mess. The scowl on his face said more than words ever could have about his displeasure at seeing her. The way his hands curled up into fists at his sides was a telltale sign as well. He was hunched forward, the cape settling around his slight frame. Vaguely, he reminded Cassie of an angry cat she had once found in the alley next to her mother's apartment. She immediately came to a decision that birds and bats were scarier than cats, no matter what anyone else might say.

"Tim…" Cassie breathed, hand finding purchase on a remarkably intact wall to keep her from falling over.

"Get out." His voice was a growl, sounding so much like Bruce that Cassie nearly whimpered. In this moment, everything about him screamed Batman. All that was missing was the cowl. "No metas in Gotham."

Cassie frowned, determined. Whatever Tim had done to himself, tortured himself into believing, she had to end it. She had to get him to come back to them, because the world needed him, and also, regardless of the importance of the former, for one far less selfish reason, as well.

He was Tim.

He was Tim, he was her friend, and he was fragile. Because, yes, while he was also one of the strongest people she'd ever met – no one could deal with two brothers trying to kill you, missions on a daily basis, the Goddamn Batman, and Nightwing's tackle-hugs without coming out stronger than Superman himself, – he was also fragile. Not just because he was normal, mortal, human, _breakable_, but also because he'd had to put up with two brothers trying to kill him, missions on a daily basis, the Goddamn Batman, and Nightwing's tackle-hugs. He accepted these things because he'd had to, but he didn't handle them. He didn't know how.

She knew this. She'd been there when he broke down, when he'd had the nightmares. It was terrifying, seeing someone who was usually so well-composed, so stoic, break out into tears like she'd seen him do. The twelfth time Damian had tried to kill Tim, he'd left Gotham, left the team, left the entire country to do God knows what. He'd shown up two weeks later at her window, bleeding from several wounds where someone had either tried to stab him or shoot him. Both, Cassie had discovered later on, as she was patching him up. He'd had several slashes on his torso, undoubtedly from a butcher's knife, and several bullets embedded deep into his body. She'd fussed over him for a god few hours before forcing the third Robin to watch Disney movies with her as punishment for being so reckless.

Back in the present, his Bat-like demeanor never fazing her, the blonde stepped forward, towards the menacing Bird and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him in close, tucking her head into his chest, just as she had curled up to him on her couch that day.

Tim was frozen for a minute – the blonde could feel how rigid he'd become in her arms. Then again, Tim had never been much for human contact.

"I'm here to help, Tim," she muttered into the ash-covered fabric that was his suit. He still didn't move. She lifted her most probably black-stained face and tried for a brave smile, the one that always made Diana smirk and roll her eyes at her protégée. "I'm here to help you, to take you back to the others. We're staying in New York for a while, so you can stay at my place, if you want."

She could feel him relax in her arms, if only slightly. His hands came up to rest on the young girl's hips. She knew that, behind the domino mask, his eyes would be wide, lost, as he tried to figure out what to do. He knew Cassie wouldn't force him to deal with his family. Damian had got out okay, so had Steph and Babs, and Jason had thankfully been out of town. Cass was in Hong Kong.

Tim still didn't say anything. Wonder Girl pulled back a bit and reached up to remove his mask. She was one of the few people allowed to do this, and never missed a chance to abuse this privilege. The black material was gently tugged away, leaving in its wake a domino-shaped patch of white skin adorning the upper half of the once Boy Wonder's face. His cerulean eyes looked just as she thought they would – weary, angry, lost. She gave him another soft smile.

"It's gonna be okay," she breathed, her voice sounding much too loud in the silence of the dead city, "I promise. We're all gonna be okay."

Tim's eyes widened as he regarded her for a moment. How could it be okay? They were dead. Gotham – his home – was ruined. How could it be okay?

"They're dead," he choked out, hands tightening into fists on his friend's hips. "Kon, Bruce, Dick… they're all dead."

"Not everyone," the blonde told him firmly, a small frown taking the place of the forced smile, "Jason's still alive. So are Damian, Steph, Cass, and Babs. Gar, Bart, Artemis, Wally, Kaldur, M'gann, Cissie, and the rest of the team are fine, too. And all the people we got out. You're here, and so am I. Doesn't that count for anything?"

She was using logic. And dammit if it wasn't working. Cassie repressed a smile as she saw the wheels in her friend's head turning. There were people out there he loved, who loved him, who needed him. It was time to let go of Gotham and her polluted river, her decaying buildings and the aged gargoyles that sat atop them, her criminals and her killers, her vigilantes and her psychopaths. Tim had to go. He wouldn't move on, not for a while – he'd never been too good at letting things go. Even now, at age 18, he still kept a box filled with old photos of heroes he'd taken as a child. Photos that had now gone up in smoke, along with Wayne Manor…

Cassie continued, not noticing the hitch in Tim's breath, or perhaps taking it as a positive sign, "And all the people who are gone… Would they have wanted you to give up? The Reach needs to be stopped, Tim, and there's no one else smart enough to do it."

Tim nodded once, firmly. She was right, after all. They had a planet to save. "They need to pay," the young man ground out, and Wonder Girl nodded.

"And they will," she promised, lifting her teammate up in her arms. She wasn't going to push him, not today. He'd already agreed to leave Gotham, and he was blaming the aliens, rather than himself, which was far more progress than she'd anticipated.

Cassie had lost her mother to these savages. She wanted their heads as well. For now, though, the Reach and the saving of the world could wait. She had a very distraught Red Robin to deal with, while forcing herself to be content with the knowledge that, after they'd had some hot cocoa while watching a few episodes of Star Wars, and Tim was done ranting about all the scientific impossibilities of the show, they'd talk it all out. Her Tim would come back to her.


	4. Life's Too Short

A/N: Hey, guys! This chapter might be kind of late, but hey, I live in France, and, well, IGCSEs kinda tend to take away time from writing… Oh well

Here's my take on Tim and Cassie's first kiss. This ended up being something completely different from what I'd intended it to be, just FYI. Funny how that happens, isn't it?

Life's Too Short

Cassie'd been taught since she was little by her mother that the right thing to do was to always work hard at school, because then she'd have a good career, maybe be an archeologist like Helena, and a good life. Later, by Diana, she was taught that the right thing to do was to always protect her sisters, that all men at some points in their lives were complete idiots, and that the main reason for their existence was to take care of them.

"Doesn't that sort of go against Amazon rules?" Cassie had asked her mentor, as the two took a break from training, wincing at the many bruises which had started to form all over. The young Wonder Girl knew she was getting better. She hadn't beat her mentor yet, but they'd come very close to it being a draw. Diana's heavy breathing was also a telltale sign that Cassie was giving her a workout. "I mean, we're strong enough to take care of ourselves, why do men need to do that for us?"

She could see a flash of pride in the princess's eyes at her words. It made Cassie feel all gooey and soft inside. So sue her, Diana was her idol. She was _allowed_ to be happy at praise – verbal or unspoken.

"We don't," Diana had answered softly, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips, "We are strong warriors, little sister. This is why there are no men on Themyscara. However, in man's world, women have allowed themselves to stray and be made feeble to men. Some fall to their knees at a 'King's' mere whim" – she said the word like it were a curse – "while those girls at your school are willing to risk entire friendships because of a look a boy supposedly gave to one of them. It's pathetic."

Cassie chewed the inside of her cheek, contemplating this. It was true. Mandy and Gina had gotten into a fight over Robert Prescott, and now they hadn't spoken for almost a week. Silently, the young Amazon promised herself she would never get into a fight over a guy with Cissie. Diana's sigh brought her back to the real world. She frowned slightly as Wonder Woman scooted towards her on the bench and grasped the young girl's hands in her comparatively large ones.

"Promise me you won't become like that," she said firmly. This sounded suspiciously like the beginning of a speech Mom had given her a few months prior – what most parents would refer to as 'the talk'. "That you won't turn out like those spoiled, silly little brats who would do anything for a male. You're better than that, Cassandra. By birthright you are a goddess, but that does not mean you can't make mistakes regarding the opposite gender."

"Are you saying I can't have a boyfriend?" Cassie frowned, although, with the look that Diana was giving her, she was ready to promise that, even if it meant getting teased by Mandy for the rest of her school days. "Like, ever?"

"No, I'm saying that you need to be patient," Diana said firmly, "The 'right guy'" – Cassie was seriously getting tired of the quotation marks at this point. Not _all_ men were imbeciles. I mean, look at Batman and Superman! – "isn't just around the corner."

"Well, obviously," Cassie grinned. She wasn't used to these moments with Diana. Her mother, sure, but with her she just needed to sit there and listen for twenty minutes until Helena got a call from the museum and Cassie was free to finish her homework. With Diana, there was no impending call, no emergency, no escape. So that left her with very little options of what to say. "We're on Themyscrara."

Diana rolled her eyes at her protégée's joke, letting the 14-year-old girl tug her hands free and gesture around the massive sand-covered training area sealed off for the sole purpose of teaching her. The princess was reassured that she had nothing to worry about. Cassie was smart, no matter how much of a fangirl she acted like most of the time. Not only did her grades speak for themselves, she was a quick learner of Amazonian fighting techniques as well. Diana was still grinning as they each picked up one of two swords, which lay side by side on another bench, and got into the stances.

It wasn't until later that they both realized that Cassie had never actually promised anything.

When Wally died, it was tragic, to say the least. The whole team could feel the loss, not just those who had been closest to him. Cassie sat down on the edge of the woods , head resting back against a tree, frowning as she looked out over the horizon. He was dead, just… gone. One minute he was there, and the next, he wasn't. Like he'd never even been there at all.

It was at that moment Cassie realized they'd been wrong – Helena and Diana had both been wrong. Wally had done an incredibly unselfish thing. He wasn't like the monsters Diana had described who took advantage of women. He was brave, and that bravery had cost him his life. It wasn't homework that was the most important thing, or keeping your sisters safe from a threat that wasn't even there half the time. Life was short. The right thing to do was to live it, to enjoy it while it lasted, before it was too late.

Wonder Girl felt a change in the atmosphere beside her – someone was approaching. She didn't need to look to know it was Tim. His cape made a soft whooshing sound in the wind. The boots crunched against the grass. He was being loud on purpose, she knew. He didn't want to startle her.

Over the past few weeks, they'd developed a bond of sorts. They fought together, and, if there was ever the option of picking his own team members for a mission, Tim would always choose Cassie. They worked well together, and sometimes even talked. Cassie had even once joked that if he got tired of all the teen supermodel wanna-be's who for some reason thought getting in good with Tim Drake would mean they'd have modeling contracts pouring in, she'd be more than happy to attend Bruce Wayne's galas with him. It was an easy friendship, one which had slowly been building up to becoming something more.

Problem was, Cassie was done waiting.

Robin settled on the grass beside her, and didn't say a word. Whether it was intuition that made him come here, some sixth sense that let him know there was something Cassie needed to say, something she needed to _do_, or just the desire to know if his teammate was okay, she was grateful he kept quiet. Because there _was_ something she needed to say to him, and she needed to do it without interruption.

"My mom always used to tell me the most important thing in the world was working hard," she started, looking out over the waters, her back turned to her teammate. He didn't have super-hearing, but the wind was soft. Eurus seemed to be watching over her tonight. Cassie vaguely mused over what that may have meant. Aqualad was back on their side. Perhaps Poseidon doubted his allegiance. Then again, the Gods hardly ever took interest in her. Ares was the only one who seemed to really bother trying to get her attention, and that was more than enough. With a shake of her head, Cassie brought herself back to the present and forced herself to turn back to look at Tim.

"Wally worked hard, and look where that got him. He died, saving the world, even after he and Artemis were supposed to have retired. But, in the end, he was happy, don't you think? I mean, he died for a cause he believed in. He had a loving family, he had Artemis, he'd done everything he'd wanted to do. Life is short. We need to live it. Wally knew that, don't you agree?"

The lenses of the mask were down so Cassie could see his eyes. They were a deep cerulean blue that was so beautiful it was breathtaking. His gaze was intent on her eyes, gouging her reaction as, unknowingly, the two leaned towards each other. Hers strayed to his mouth, and he found himself doing the same. The Boy Wonder waited until their mouths were just a breath apart before answering her.

"Yes," he whispered, using every ounce of self-control he had not to reach out and grab the young girl's arm to keep her there, to make sure she wouldn't leave, when he felt her tense up. She was ready to pull away, for some reason taking his answering her at all as some indication that he didn't want this. But he wasn't done yet. "And I think we'd be honoring his memory if we did the same."

Cassie's azure gaze flew back up to her teammate's in something akin to surprise, before her lips crashed down against his. Tim's eyes widened before his hands rested on her hips as if of their own accord. Her lips parted above him as she settled so that she was almost straddling him. Her hands tangled in his soft hair, pulling lightly on the ebony strands. The kiss was hot, desperate, deep – everything you'd expect a kiss between two people who just realized they might die at any moment to be like. Cassie was almost forceful, but he didn't mind, giving back as good as he got. She needed this. For some reason – Diana, her mother, her father, the Amazons, training, Wally's death, the mission's success – she needed this closeness. One hand trailed down his chest, fingers trying to find purchase in red fabric. He responded by tangling one gloved hand in her hair, keeping the other on the small of her back, keeping her there, making sure she wouldn't leave. Too many people in his life had a bad habit of leaving. His mother and father, Jason, and now Wally. Cassie was staying. Her hand in his hair tightened as if to reassure him of this fact.

It was over far too soon, as most good things are, but they needed to breathe, no matter if they liked it or not. Cassie was poised on Tim's lap, straddling him, one hand fisted on his chest, the other raking haphazardly through her hair, trying to smooth it out of the mess Tim had tangled it into. He had no idea how he must look, but the young Robin could just feel the dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Wow," he breathed, in between brief bouts of panting. Cassie rolled over onto her side and curled up next to him, her head resting against his shoulder. His arm automatically wrapped around her shoulders, tucking her close. The 14-year-old felt more than heard the young girl chuckle.

"That about covers it," she grinned. The two sat/lay there like that for a few seconds, neither one saying a word, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So, was that just a one-time thing, or are we like Conner and Megan now?" Tim finally asked, because he felt like he had to. Dick had warned him about letting girls get to him. He was a Bat. He wasn't supposed to do that. Bruce had taught him that they weren't supposed to get involved with members of the team, that it would only cause trouble. But surely a half-human Amazonian demigoddess was an exception, right? Right?

"We'd have to break up first, in order to be like Conner and Megan," Cassie smiled against the red Kevlar as she felt gloved fingers draw aimless patterns on the skin of her shoulder. She wondered if Robin was even aware he was doing it. Oh well. It didn't matter. She would have been content to just lie there forever.

"You know what I mean," Tim told her. Wonder Girl could hear the frown on his face. His other hand reached up to his domino to do something that would shield his eyes with the white lenses again. Cassie resisted groaning at the act. She hated the masks. It was always so unfair how the Bats got to keep their thoughts secret while everyone else was, well, not exactly open, but Diana sure as hell didn't hide her feelings behind a mask. Rather than saying anything though, because it felt odd and out of place in this peaceful moment, she grinned up at him.

"Yes," she answered with a smile, "We are like Conner and Megan."

Tim relaxed back against the tree. "In that case, would you like to have dinner with me next Friday?" He spoke up to the leaves of the tree, unable to look down at the girl in his arms, never mind that she wasn't even looking at him.

"In Gotham?" Wonder Girl frowned, "Doesn't Batman have a 'No Metas' rule there?"

"Yes, but last time I checked, Cassie Sandsmark was a normal eighth grade student from New York, whose only extra-curricular activities include occasionally helping her mother out at the Met," Tim told her innocently, a grin playing on the corners of his mouth. "Not at all someone Batman should have trouble with accepting in his city."

"So I should leave the lasso at home?" Wonder Girl chuckled.

"If you don't mind," Tim smirked at the rustling leaves.

That Friday, Cassie had been called to the shooting range by Wonder Woman after school. Diana had said she wanted to practice shielding bullets with Cassie, and, like a good little sidekick, Cassie had agreed. When she noticed that it was nearing 7 o'clock, though, Cassie lowered her bracers, the signal that clearly meant stop. Diana frowned, but lowered the gun.

"Well, this was awesome," Cassie began, her voice going into that relatively high octave that meant she was gonna start rambling. She quickly made her way out from behind the counter where the shooters stood. The range had been thankfully empty tonight, and Batman had promised to erase the video footage evidence. "But I gotta go now. Homework and chores, and I've still gotta stop at the supermarket, and-"

_BANG!_

_Clink!_

The bullet thudded harmlessly against Cassie's bracer. The young girl looked more than a little shocked, not to mention terrified, that her mentor had taken the shot at her when she was unprepared. Diana, however, was completely relaxed, the hand not holding the gun poised on her hip. "Diana!"

"Not bad," the Amazon stated, nodding once firmly, "But you already did your chores this morning, and you did your homework in study period. Also, Helena went shopping yesterday. Why are you so determined to leave? A boy?"

Cassie pursed her lips. She and Cissie had spent all of yesterday afternoon, while Diana had been swamped with meetings, trying to pick out the perfect outfit for Cassie. Since she had no clue where Tim was taking her, that had proven to be a bit of a challenge. It would be such a shame if all their hard work were for nothing. Not to mention, how would Tim react if she didn't show up? How would it affect their working dynamic? If he thought she stood him up, he'd be seriously upset, and that wasn't something the team needed. Maybe she could give him an excuse.

_Hey, Tim, sorry I couldn't make it, but Diana got kinda pissed off at me because I promised her I'd be careful when it comes to guys, and I kinda sorta might've forgotten to tell her about our date._ Yeah, because that was gonna go over real well.

"I knew it," Diana sighed, setting the gun on the counter and pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Alright, what's his name? Cassandra? Are you listening to me?"

Or maybe she could tell him she had to flee the country for the night because Ares was in town. _Hey, Tim, sorry I couldn't be there, but I had to leave the country because Ares was after me. You know, my kinda psycho big brother who's like 50,000 years older than me? God of War?_ No, that wouldn't work. Gotham was a place not even the Gods dared go near. Tim knew this better than anyone, except for the Bat himself, probably. But maybe she could still-

"CASSANDRA!" Diana's voice reverberated through the small room, making Cassie jump.

"Sorry," she very nearly whispered. Diana had never looked so regal, or so royally pissed off. The Amazon hated being ignored. "I was just lost in thought…"

"I gathered," wonder Woman glared at the young demigoddess. "Now, tell me who it is you are going to meet, or I will take you back to Helena and you will be grounded and not allowed to date anyone at all until you are thirty. Is that clear?"

Cassie sighed. No way out. Just like she was used to when it came to Diana.

"It's Tim," she surrendered, steeling herself for the lecture on how all Bats were emotionally unstable, how for them the mission always came first, and had Cassie really thought this through, because if she hadn't now would be a really good time to start, since it would undoubtedly end in tears, not to mention, a lot of emotional trauma and inevitably a broken heart. Now, did Cassie want that? Did she?

"Tim," Diana tried the name and seemed to decide she didn't like the taste of it, "The sixth grader? Honestly, Cassandra, I wouldn't have taken you to get together with someone so young. Although, I suppose some might consider-"

"Ew! No!" Cassie frantically shook her hands and head in denial, "Tim as in Tim _Drake_. As in Robin? As in 'Robin the Boy Wonder'? As in 'Batman and Robin'?" She was very tempted to say the words 'Am I getting through to you?' as she had done to Cissie earlier this week. Cissie, who still couldn't believe Cassie had a date with the son of one of the world's richest men alive. Well, now that Diana knew that was probably cancelled, but still.

"Robin," Diana repeated the title, her eyes widening just a little bit before narrowing back into a frown. "In Gotham?"

"Yes," Cassie admitted begrudgingly, looking down at the floor now and starting to fidget.

"What time?"

"7:30, but there's a two hour time difference."

"Hmm," Cassie could see the gears in Diana's head turning, mulling over the idea, trying to understand and go through all the options. Finally, Diana gave a firm nod and lifted her gaze from where it had settled several feet behind Cassie on the radiator. "Well then, you better go get ready."

"What?" the young blonde couldn't believe her luck. She was getting off just like that? No punishment, no lecture? No way. She just didn't have that kind of luck. "I can go? No lecture on how he's a Bat and they're about as emotional as a jar of pickles? Just… I can go?"

"Yes, go," the raven-haired woman laughed, waving one graceful hand delicately in the air. Cassie beamed and rushed over to her, giving her a big hug, before running towards the door frantically. She was stopped one last time, though. "Cassandra?"

"Yes?" She knew. She just knew it. It was the pickle jar comment. Damn it, why did she have to say anything? Why couldn't she just go an d leave well enough alone, and-

"Has he kissed you yet?" Diana's pale blue eyes were smiling, genuinely pleased at the whole situation.

"No," Cassie said begrudgingly, "But I kissed him. After Wally died, right before you came back."

Wonder Woman smiled a sad smile before turning back to the gun. "Good. Now go, before you're late."

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! :D


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